Baked To Perfection
by Lesageroon519
Summary: Ae-cha is a girl who's always wanted to be a princess, to help people, to be there for everyone. When she gets the offer to become his princess only if the exilir is taken, her world turns upside down. Will he be able to save her? To bring her out of that false fairy tale? Or is it too late..?
1. Chapter 1

_**-drum roll please-**_

 _ **Well, hello there! A lot of people requested on me doing more stories that involved mystic messenger and a month ago I got requested to do one with V.**_

 _ **So...I hope you all enjoy.**_

 _ **Sorry i was caught up in the hospital so i havent updated any of the other stories i'll be back on track soon enough!**_

 **(WARNING: THERE WILL BE V SPOILERS IN HERE, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED HIS ROUTE OR JUST DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS, BE WARNED)**

Flowers.

Bright. Colorful. Wonderful scents. Attracting bees and other buzzing insects that craved the pollination that subtly fell whenever the wind blew across the grass, sending the scent from the flowers to travel and the pollination to sprinkle across fields and help create more lushes and spontaneous Rhododendron mucronulatum.

Ah… Yes. the wind. The lovely breeze that seemed to carry a story, telling everyone and thing how free, how open it was, how careless it could be. Those spring days and evenings where the scorching sun gazed down on your skin and the cool breeze rushing through your short obsidian hair and grazing your fair skin, your shimmering violet/blue eyes seeming to reflect the sun. Those good old days you would sit under the trees with your mom as she told you stories and fairytales. Fairytales…. You were always into the princess life, wearing dresses and nice clothing, learning your manners and how to properly set the table, traditional korean. Being young was a dream come true to you, a life any little girl would ask for, with all the dresses and what not. But as you got older, reality sunk in more. The horrors of the world became noticeable. And you realized: _**There's no such thing as happy endings.**_

Once you hit the age 11 and your father died, his car driving off a cliff, you knew that you couldn't be the girl that constantly relied on someone. You needed independence but it was easier said than done. The boys that liked you swarmed you with gifts and affection, but you didn't want just hugs and kisses. You wanted a friend. Someone you could talk to. You couldn't freely talk to the girls your age, most of them seemed to envy you. SO..you began to isolate yourself. There was nothing special about you. Not the way your black hair had a baby blue tint to it in the sunlight, not the way way your purple eyes had specks of gold and bright blue, not the way your fair skin seemed to glow in the early afternoon. None of that was unique to you. None felt special.

Years pass and you move away from your life; the life that you once knew. You moved to new high school,, staying quiet and not socializing. But some things happened when you turned 17, forcing you to move again. Only 17 years old, you lived by yourself, studied, played games online and tended to gardens at the elder home, lending a helping hand. While walking home from the nearby cafe, you notice a male and female sitting at a table at one of the restaurant. The male had turquoise hair and the female had lovely shining golden hair that glistened. You couldn't help but stare, your eyes glued to the couple. They seemed to stand out to you, their personalities radiating off of one another. It was odd seeing such a hair color. SO bright and vibrant and...strange. You shrugged it off, not thinking anything else of it. Never would you have thought that same man would change your entire life….And the female might put an end to it..

Now, 20 years of age, you sit on a pink bedspread in a room covered in princess decorations, the walls a purple/pink with swirls and hearts engraved into the wallpaper. A glass table sat near the double eight inch windows, which had the curtains drawn back and held with what looked like a hair tie with a big pink flower. The floors were covered in a deep purple, fluffy and soft between your toes whenever you deemed fit for walking barefoot, such as when you first wake up or slip out of bed late at night for a glass of water or to use the restroom. The smell of a beautiful fragrance, vanilla with cherry blossom, filled the room each morning, your first breath of the day always seeming to be the best. It reminded you of your younger years when you would bask in the sunlight and lay on top of the flowers and soft grass, watching bees buzz by and dragonflies chasing each other. You inhale deeply before exhaling, your hair in a loose, high ponytail, most of your bangs falling into your face and some stray strands springing in various directions while you sit up. You have been sleeping in the room, this weird building, for close to four days now. How did you end up here again? You can't recall. Why can't you recall? You don't know why, but you have a feeling it has something to do with the piercing headache you have, your eyes feeling slightly heavy even though you just woke up.

"..." You turn to the side and look at your phone. Nope. Nothing. Still dead. You sigh with a pout, shaking your head in disbelieve. You needed to have sort of communication...but at this point it seems like that isn't going to happen. Your eyes avert to look out the window, the sun shines in and creates a small rainbow that casts onto the floor. Flipping your legs off the bed, your feet touch the soft, cold carpet, your toes mingling with each piece of fabric as they try burying themselves deep into it. You put weight on your right leg, hopping to the window to avoid putting pressure on your left ankle since you sprained it a day or two ago. Delicately, as if the glass was a wall of sand, you place your palm against it, the coolness from the outside seeming to seep through and circuit through your body. You feel caged in, locked away and shielded from the outside world. Not like it really matters. You've isolated yourself from society, not speaking to anyone as if every person you came into contact with had the plague. Do you regret it? Of course not. It made your problems almost nonexistent.

Your right ear twitches and your eyes dart to the door as there is two, slow knocks. Then, as if it's your first time seeing another human being, your heart seems to stop and your breath hitches, holding your breath once the other being steps into the room, their hair ivory with slightly faded ends, his eyes a bright mint color giving him a young and innocent look despite the bags under his eyes, indicating he probably didn't get very much sleep. Not surprising. You let out the breath you were once holding and you feel slightly nauseous, unsure how to react to this male.

"Ah, you're awake," he says, too happy for the odd situation. "I apologize but I was suppose to visit you earlier in the morning. I got too caught up in my work."

Dryness and soreness overcome you and your throat constricts, unable to speak you just nod, not responding to him. He enters the room and closes the door behind him, a pout coming to his lips. He's clearly distressed about something. But what? He isn't the one who had no clue how he got here. "Is something wrong? You aren't upset? Oh, you must be hungry, correct?"

Again, a single nod is your only response. "No need to act shy," he chuckles, a soft grin on his face, although it looks...forced and painful. You nod.

"S-sorry," you finally say in slight shyness, uncertain of how to speak. He seems proper but you don't really want to speak so formally. Then again, it would be the best decision since you don't know who he is. So, speaking formally only seems like the logical thing to do. "I'm...just confused, that's all…"

"Oh, the exilir will do that," he quickly says, taking both of your hands gently. "It's a side effect. Don't worry, you will be fine. It happened to me when i first took it. Everyone living under this roof needs to take it or the savior gets...a bit paranoid, i should say."

"Wait…" You slowly smile nervously, retracting his your hands as he frowns.

"Oh my...you can't remember anything, can you? Oh dear, you might've taken a bit too much. I guess I'll reintroduce myself." He smiles again and kisses one of your hands. "I am Ray. You told me you would test some things out for me and came here...now five days ago."

Ray…. Ray? The name doesn't seem to ring a bell- oh. You suddenly remember a bit from the previous day. He lead you to a room, handing you a glass that was heart shaped and full of mint colored liquid. 'It's sweetened to taste a bit like cupcakes,' Ray had told you before you gladly took the bottle and drank the contents, but not all. Ray refused to have you drink such an enormous amount.

"Ray.." You shake your head. "Yeah, sorry. No, i mean...okay, yeah..sorry I just sorta..blanked out for a bit."

Ray shakes his head. "No need to apologize, Ae-cha," he says, and for some reason hearing him say your name soothes your nerves and you aren't as nervous, sighing with a small grin. He grabs your hand and leads you out. "You must be hungry," he repeats himself, leading you out of the room and placing a hand over your eyes. You make a squeak and go to protest but remember. You can't see some parts of the building. It's forbidden. He needs to cover your eyes. And you somewhat feel more comfortable at the realization that it's just Ray.

"Watch your step….hold on, slow down, Ae-cha...One second.." He lets out what sounds like a smooth laugh but you're unable to tell and by the time you build up the courage to ask him a question, he removes his hand from your eyes, revealing the beautiful kitchen. "Sit down, Ae-cha. Feel comfortable like before. Nothing's changed-"

"Ray!" a voice calls and a man in a robe enters. The look on Ray's face screams that he's displeased that the male interrupted our time together. He leans in, the male whispers words you can't make out which make you feel uneasy again. Ray glances at you. "It's V," he states, obviously annoyed. You look at him. Confused.

"...V?" you question, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Ray smiles sadly. "I'm guessing you can't remember him, right? Last night he barged in and tried to stop you from drinking the exilir." Ray balls his fist. "That man is a bad man. Stay away from him. You're too innocent to be bruised by such impurity in him." He fixes his shirt. "Can I trust you enough to know that you will stay here? I need to take care of something quickly."

You stare at him, almost dumbfounded. You're so confused, you wish you just stayed in your room and ignore him when he asked if you were hungry. But that's in the past and you didn't choose that. Now you're here. "Mhm."

"Great.. Thank you, Ae-cha." he bows and leaves the kitchen. This kitchen….It looks like something that would be in a love story or a fairytale. And it slightly…..brings hope back into your mind that maybe you could live like a princess. Someday. Maybe here? You rest your elbows against the spot free glass table and place your face in the palm of your hands. Yesterday….That's why you drank that stuff. To be a happy princess with no worries. Ray had promised you.

" _Ae-cha, it's safe. You can trust me."_

" _It's just odd. I trust you, I really do, but you're asking me to drink something so...weird."_

" _Ae-cha-" he grabbed your hands and stared into your eyes "-we can both live a fairytale if you drink this. You can truly be happy with no worries and problems. You'll be a princess and I'll remind you about it everyday."_

" _Ray…" I looked at the glass bottle and its contents. "It's...safe...right?"_

" _I wouldn't allow you to take it if it wasn't safe…"_

 _I nodded, took the bottle and went to drink but_ _ **he**_ _unexpectedly entered, calling my name, warning me about the drink as the liquid pours down my throat._

That's all you're able to remember. Nothing after that. Your eyes glance to where Ray had left to. Maybe..he wouldn't know if you decided to go explore...just a bit. Your feet are numb and your legs feel like lead as you make your way to the hall, hand sliding against the wall to make sure you know where exactly it is you're going. You hear gagging and peer around the corner, seeing turquoise hair, the body covered in a black robe and he buckles over as Ray scoffs and tosses the bottle, the contents empty from it, Did he make him drink the entire thing? The male slowly sits up and leans against the cell he's in and your eyes meet for a split second, making your heart stop. You've seen him somewhere but can't tell where you've seen him before. His eyes widen when he realizes it's you and he gestures for you to leave but you just stand there frozen. What was Ray doing to this male? WHy did this same amle try to stop you from drinking the Exilir the previous day?

You're too caught up in the same questions replaying in your mind that you don't notice the horror on Ray's face as he realizes that you're present. His face seems to go pale and he gulps. "Ae-cha! You lied," he stated, stomping towards you. Your eyes then dart to that male and gasp, stumbling backwards and falling onto your back.

"R-Ray-"

"You lied to me. Of all people…. DOn't you trust me? Don't you want to be my princess?" He kneels down and offers his hand, V's eyes gluing to you, fear in his eyes. Why should you care. You don't even know the guy. You don't know Ray either but you know him more than you know the other male.

Your eyes shift and meet mint eyes, nodding and squeezing Ray's hand. "It won't happen again..I'm sorry i don't know what got over me, Ray.."

Ray helps you stand. "Pay no attention to him.. V is a bad man, Ae-cha.. Please. Don't get involved with him.. Come on. If the savior found out you knew about this part of the building, she wouldn't be very happy… not at all.."

You nod your head and follow him out, glancing over your shoulder and at the male on the floor, reaching through the cell towards you with a frown. The frown looks considerate. Sad. Helpless..Wanting to help you. But why? Why would he look like that? You feel perfectly safe next to Ray, maybe even his savior, although you haven't met them yet. You enter the kitchen and sit down, Ray pressing his hands against the counter, shaking his head with a scoff. He begins to look stressed and uncertain of something. His eyes are soon stuck on you, staring at you intently and you gulp, tugging at the collar of your shirt.

"I, uh...I'm sorry. You were just taking a while and i got worried-"

"You were worried about me?"

You blink, Study his now relieved and soften face. "Yes… I was worried."

"No one's ever truly worried for me..It's...nice." He walks to you and gets on one knee, taking a hand and kissing it. "I promise you I'm not mad, so don't be frightened. Just be yourself."

A genuine smile appears on your face and you nod. The rest of the afternoon seems to go smooth. You and Ray talk. About? You can't really remember. There's plenty of things you can't really remember and it begins to bother you. While Ray walks you back to the room, hands over your eyes, you clear your throat.

"Ray..?"

"Yes?"

"Why….Why did that man, V, look so...so much in pain?"

This question seems to displease Ray and he opens a door and the familiar scent rushes to your nose. You're in the room from the previous night. The one you drank the elixlir in. "Are you worrying about that man? Ae-cha, you shouldn't worry of him. He's a waste of time. Trust me."

You nod once hands remove from your face, your vision now back, eyes scanning the room's every detail. The color. The machines. The temperature. The scent. Ray hands you a heart shaped glass bottle with a mint color liquid. You're eyes are mesmerized by the tiny shines in the liquid, the glass cool in the palm of your hands.

"Drink. Not all of it. You'll end up in pain like that man if you drink too much."

"Ray..Do I have to?" you ask, staring into his mint eyes,.

Ray frowns with concern. "Yes. You can't stay here in this paradise forever if you don't drink it. You already told me you you wanted to live here as a princess."

"But..when I took it I couldn't remember anything.." You look down, actually feeling fear prick at your skin. Why did you have to take this stuff? What exactly did it do to you? Rays index and middle finger went under your chin,pressing up and making you look at him.

"It's because you took a bit too much. Don't take as much.. I promise you'll feel the effects tomorrow and you'll absolutely love it.." He tilts the bottle towards your lips, which you lick and look down at the opening of the bottle as it presses against your flushed lips. Then, your eyes close as the cold contents touch your skin, gliding against your tongue and to the back of your throat. Once you swallow some of it Ray quickly takes the bottle from you, shaking his head. "Calm down. You'll get sick and hurt if you drink too much.." A smile spreads across his face.

You start to feel dizzy and nauseous, and you stumble back with a cough. Ray presses a hand against your back, the other stroking your hair. "It's fine. It'll help.." A devious smirk crawls onto his beautifully soft features as your eyes flutter shut.

"It always helps…"

 _ **Alright! Once again some things happened and i was stuck in the hospital so i wasn't able to post on the given dates but i'm working my hardest to get caught up! Thank you! The next chapter should be up next week!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Alright! And we're back!**_

 _ **I hope you guys enjoy.**_

 _~BTP~_

The sun seems to shine brighter than it usually does, hitting your hair just perfect, giving it that baby blue tint that the ivory haired male absolutely found astonishing. Your multi colored eyes glance to your left, then to your right before you giggle, crawling to where Ray was, laying back in the grass next to him. His mint eyes were staring at the sky, his breathing smooth and slow, his scent refreshing. Once he senses you near him his eyes flutter open, looking at you while turning his head, a soft smile on his pale face.

"You seem happy today," he said in a sweet voice.

"Of course I'm happy. Everything's so perfect.."

4 days. You were taking the Elixir for four days and your mind was already scrambled, your life turning into a delusional mess. You were a princess, tho, and Ray the prince, the savior the queen that you trust with your life, although never have meeting her. But Ray was convincing with his words and as each day passed, it became easier for you to take the odd liquid. You love the cupcake taste, and sometimes it having a chocolate chip mint flavoring.

"Princess… I'm not supposed to say this, but...My Savior wishes to meet you. She's starting to feel uncomfortable since she hasn't met you-"

"Great! I'd love to meet her," you say quickly, a happy grin on your face. "I was starting to get curious about the woman.. I hear such amazing things about her from the other people here, but I've never been able to meet her."

"You'll absolutely love her… I promise."

 _Promise_.

A word Ray seems to use more than others. A word he holds true to. A word he takes so seriously. "If you promise, then she must really be great."

Ray nods and stands, helping you up and holding your hand as you leads you to your room. You realize you stopped playing the game he asked you to test out a while ago. You don't talk to anyone, including the AIs. Ray seemed to get jealous of them whenever he caught you laughing at their jokes or fights. You could tell it upset him. But since you stopped, he's been the happiest of people.

You sit on your pink bed sheets, holding a pillow close against your chest. You feel butterflies swarm in your stomach at the thought of meeting Ray's savior. She helped him get out of a hard place in his life. Helped him become the man he was now. And even now she continues to help him. It makes your heart flutter. You're such a lucky princess with the perfect friend as the prince. The prince….the prince… Aren't princes supposed to save the princess from a tragic event? Aren't princes supposed to help her become happy with her life? Princes aren't supposed to force happiness on others. Aren't supposed to try and interrogate them. Aren't supposed to force others to do anything.

What exactly did Ray help you with?

What did he save you from?

How did he make you happy?

Just from forcing you to drink a liquid you refused to do so at first? From locking you in your room, forbidding you to leave your room to go to other parts of the building? All these reasons seem….unfair. None of this was supposed to make you happy. You were a princess and he a knight working under the queen's orders to keep you locked away in a castle. Ray wasn't your prince… Ray wasn't _your_ savior. Ray was your kidnapper. He was never planning on letting you leave in the first place. Never planning on letting you go a day without drinking the elixir. The thought of all of this makes you sick and you bury your face in the pillow. Your head begins to hurt, a splitting headache forming and your throat feeling dry and constricting in pain.

Ray wouldn't betray you. Ray would be there for you no matter what. He cares for you. _He promised._

A knock comes from the door and your head pops up, your eyes looking at the door as it opens, revealing...a man. A man with turquoise hair and bright eyes. He holds a finger to his lips, closing the door and locking it behind him. You sit there frozen, opening your mouth slowly, about to call for Ray.

"Ae-cha, please stay quiet," he whispers, slowly approaching you.

 _Ae-cha..? Who's Ae-cha?-_ You flinch as the bed dips in and you blink, seeing the man sit on the far corner of the bed, pulling back the hood of his robe to reveal his face better. "Ae-cha? DO you remember me? You didn't take the elixir...did you?" He reaches a hand out but you flinch and scoot back, the male's facial expression saddens. "What did he do to you, Ae-cha?"

"Ray never did anything to me, if that's who you're referring to," you state bluntly, glaring at him.

"Ae-cha, you can't even remember your own name. Your name is Ae-cha.. We use to talk quite a bit eight days ago...but then you went quiet. I saw you four days ago.."

"Four days…" You study him, getting a worse headache as you try to recall the face. The pleading face that wants to help, the pleading face that yearns for something...but what?

"...V?" you question, rubbing your temples.

Ah, V… Yes, V. V from the messenger. V, the male who tried stopping you from drinking the elixir. V…..the man pleading for you to not listen to Ray. V…..the male almost dying in the cell after Ray was finished with him. "V? You're ok..okay?"

You slowly push the pillow off to the side and crawl closer to the male, sitting next to him and having your legs hang off the bed.

"Ah. you remember now? Good.." A small grin appears on his face, his eyes almost seeming dead and tired, bags under his eyes indicating that he hasn't gotten any sleep for some time.

"What...what happened to you?"

"He gave me too much of the elixir.. Ae-cha, you need to stop taking it."

A warm, almost delusional smile appears and you giggle. "V.. There's nothing bad about the elixir. It's made me happy."

"Ae-cha… You need to stop before you won't be able to go back. I can help you. Please.. I want to help you like you've tried helping me."

You frown and puff your cheeks out, shaking your head. "V. Ray is trying to help me. He's made me happy here and tonight I get to meet his savior."

At this, v's eyes seem to drain and he pales, staring into your eyes with disbelief. He grabs your shoulders and shakes his head slowly. "Ae-cha, you can't meet her. You need to stay away from Rika."

"But, V-"

"Ae-cha." His stare turns intense, and your cheeks turn pink from frustration, but you don't object and you nod, your eyes faltering and looking away from him, wondering as to how you were going to avoid meeting-

Wait.

 _Rika._

You look at V with big eyes, your breath catching in your throat. Rika was dead, wasn't she?

"How...wait...From what I heard..Rika was your..fiance, correct? Why...why is she alive-"

"I've been trying to tell you," he says almost desperately as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket. "Things aren't as they seem so please.. Just listen to me on this one, you won't regret it." V holds out his hand for you to take it, his eyes staring into yours as he smiles softly, making sure you feel the most comfortable before doing anything else. You give off a single nod and take his hand before standing to your feet, feeling the fuzzy, soft carpet in between your toes, a smile on your face as the two of you begin to walk out of the building and out in the field. V's hand is warm and soft against your cold one and his scent wafts around you while the breeze slides across your bare arm. Bumpy chills run across your chill skin and your eyes flick around to study your surrounding areas, trees scattered about and the grass green and healthy, healthier than most yards. Your gaze drifts off to the side and you notice a garden, seeing Ray walking around as he spoke with a blonde female, her hair golden and skin porcelain.

"That's Rika," V speaks softly as he leads you to a shed the size of a small house. When the door opens it reveals a spacious room with a small fridge and two nice twin size beds. A cool metal object was placed in the palm of your hand and you look down to see a small key. "Here. If you ever need to get away or talk, come here. Most times I'm not here because I have other things to take care of."

Your gaze studies his soft pale face and the strands of turquoise hair that falls in his face. He's gorgeous, but most gorgeous people you've met have been the complete opposite on the inside. So..does that mean that V is really a bad person? What if you messed up by going with him and believing in him instead of Ray? Pani takes over your being and you look at V with weary eyes, clearly showing you have doubts in him. You begin to feel fear prick at your stomach and it's a terrible feeling.

"You don't need to worry about being caught. As long as you don't meet Rika you should be safe. And don't drink the elixir…. It'll fog your memory. It'll make you think you're having a good time when, in reality, you aren't. If you can't stay away from Rika then don't drink that liquid. I'm begging you," he exclaims in a serious tone. "All I want to do is help you. Will you let me help you?"

Things run through your head and memories feel like they're being scattered about the more you try to focus on V's voice. You manage to let out a small 'okay' before your eyes are looking back down at the floor. Soon, a hand cups your cheek and your eyes meet bright turquoise ones. "I just want to help you. I can't stress how much I want to help you out. I understand that you're nervous, but please..Trust me, Ae-cha."

"I-I…." you mumble, his eyes easily reading through you while you breathe shakily. " to trust you. I want to trust you more than anything I just don't know you all that well,,so it's hard," you explain in a quiet voice, scared someone might hear the two of you. "Have you ever tried to trust someone you barely even know?"

V is quiet for a few minutes before his expression changes. "Yes. Yes, Ae-cha, I have."

This gets you to go quiet, thinking to yourself. "We can do this...but...I'll need a constant reminder that I'm on your side..because it'll be hard for me to turn my back on Ray.. I've grown close to him. And I care for him.."

"I understand. I'm not going to make you change how you feel towards him. That's a personal matter. But i do need you to try your best and resist him."

You stare into his eyes, quiet and still, not moving while he speaks. "O-okay… I'll try." V takes your hands and holds them, a slight grin on his face. "Okay..Here.." He places a phone charger in the palm of your hand. "The people you were speaking to.. Talk to them. They will help."

"...Wait. Aren't they AI's though…?" you question, now just as more confused. "Ray told me it was a game..they were-"

"He also told you I was a bad person, right? To not get involved with me?"

You nod your head one time before your gaze drifts down to your hands. "...O-okay." You slowly slide your hand away, inhaling shakily. "I-i should get going before Ray realizes I'm gone.."

V stands up straight and pulls his hood back on. " You go do that. And Ae-cha?...Trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll be to blame, not you." He turns and walks off, leaving you standing there, the wind blowing through your beautiful hair, causing it to flow in front of your face. You place your hands over your heart, nod, and quickly run back into your room where you plug your phone in behind your bed. You see the battery light up and your phone chimes, turning on.

 **ALright so,...I'm really sorry. College got in the way and family problems messed with me. So, a chapter will be uploaded either 2 times or 1 time a month. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it!**


	3. Chapter 3

The summer mornings use to be what you considered your favorite. It was magical to feel the warm breeze sweep across your fair skin, the sun beaming down on you and the morning air making it so that it wasn't too hot nor too cold. What happened to those days? The days where you couldn't wait to wake up and go for a run or play your instruments? These were questions you asked for quite some time.. But now you knew the answer, and you felt utterly stupid for not being able to recognize it faster. It was because you were _here._ Here in this place… a false image of what royalty should feel, and you almost fell for it, so close to falling in deeper and deeper to the lie that the people here had created for you. But your savior, not _his_ savior, but yours came at the most inconvenient time and saved you. Saved you from the lie you were also beginning to create for yourself. Who knew how far you would've fallen if he hadn't came when he did. It wasn't too late for you. You could be saved from what they were turning you into. You _were_ saved from becoming that..clueless princess they wanted you to be. You were able to be saved..

It had been 3 days since you had your little meeting with V and how he had explained everything to you. Minutes after you two had spoken, you wanted to run back into Ray's arms and rat V out. But you didn't. You had enough willpower to hold yourself back. Enough willpower to ease your mind. And with the rest of your willpower, later that night, you made a plan to not drink the elixir. A plan that worked. And from then on you haven't had any to drink. You've had a clear mind. One that could help you think rationally and not recklessly. One that helped you hold your tongue when needed be instead of blurting out whatever you wanted.

As the small clock near your bed ticked and tocked, you sat on your bed, toes covered by fluffy pale blue socks that warmed you up and crawled up to your calf, legs being hugged against your chest while your chin rested on top of your knees, eyes tired and looking out towards the pale pink stain glass windows. Ray didn't stop by as frequently anymore, and the times he did he seemed troubled. Even though you knew V was the one telling the truth and trying to save you, you still wanted to save Ray. Just by looking into his eyes, you could tell there was a hidden pain, buried away but yet the slightest thing could set it off. Could trigger it. Could make it come out.

Your head shot up as the door creaked, revealing the white haired male with the tired, yet simple crazed smile that held a sweet innocence to it. He didn't walk in all the way, he stood in the doorway, holding one arm out as to indicate for you to leave the room. "My saviour wants to meet you…" His voice cracked. Had he been hurt? Had he..not gotten any sleep? You stand up, unraveling yourself and letting your covered feet touch the ground before walking towards him, grabbing his hand and smiling, just realizing that he wore black silk gloves that covered from the mid-palm and up. Your fingers rubbed against the fabric and a smile appeared on your face. He smiled in return before his hand left yours, pulling a blindfold from his pocket. Oh. of course. You had forgotten that you needed that. That stupid thing.. Slowly, you turned around and let him put the blindfold on you, soon walking with cautions as he lead you carefully. There was a sudden gust of cool air that brushed against your face, your hair slightly waving in the air as a woman's voice spoke up.

"You can take it off of her, Ray," she spoke sweetly, almost sounding too nice. The blindfold fell to the floor, revealing a big room decorated in gold and red, a throne-like chair sitting up on a couple of stepps, red curtains draping on either side of the throne. Your eyes gaze around, skimming over each object and detail in the new room before they landed on a fair skinned female with lovely blonde hair and bright green eyes that seemed to have a darker, somewhat more malicious green tinting them. A smile broke out across her perfectly shaped face, her legs moving as she walked towards you, reaching out and placing her hands on your shoulders.

"Oh my, Ray wasn't kidding. You really are a precious thing, aren't you?" she asked, her own green eyes skimming over your body. This girl… This girl was the girl that people have talked about in the chatroom. This was Rika..? "You look confused. Don't be. It'll be fine, I won't hurt you."

"Sorry. It's just… you're so beautiful," you reply in a smooth tone. It wasn't any lie. No wonder V loved this woman and did anything for her. Rika's expression changed from one of composed and confident to flustered, no expecting your reply.

"When's the last time someone called me that? Or complimented my appearance?" she questioned herself before seeming to shrug it off, her smile innocent yet..malevolent. "Am I being too forward? Would you like me to calm down a bit? Ray did say that you were quite timid but I never expected you to be as silent as he is."

Your eyes shift to Ray who stays there with a confused grin, not questioning Rika. "Y-yes, sorry. I'm just…" your words trailed off and you cleared your throat. "S-So.. Um...You're Ray's saviour? He says really...really pleasant things about you," you admit. Rika has a glint in her eyes and she glances up at Ray.

"Oh? Well i'm flattered. Ray is my closest friend. And I have known him for quite some time." She hums before going behind you and wrapping her arms around your waist, placing her chin on your shoulder. "I'd like to get to know you better. Ray, leave us alone for a bit, I'd like to have alone time with our guest."

Ray's eyes immediately change to panic. "But that wasn't part of the deal! You can't-"

"Ray, I'm asking nicely-"

"What are you going to so with her, Rika-!"

In a quick flash Rika is standing in front of Ray, his head sideways as there was a loud _SLAP_ sound. Your eyes widen, seeing Ray ball his hands into tight fists. "You don't raise your voice to your saviour, Ray. It isn't polite. I raised a gentleman, not a fussy male, _Saeran_ ," she hissed, venom rolling off of her tongue at the name. He flinched and inhaled shakily.

"Yes, saviour. I apologize.." He bowed and kissed the top of her hand softly, a smile spreading across her face. His eyes meet your before he leaves, Rika turning around to look at you, smiling. "I'm sorry about that. Ray can get possessive of things he's fond of. He has a habit of attaching to anything innocent or sweet. Why do you think he likes flowers so much?" she grabbed your hand, leading you outside to the garden, all the like and pale flowers glowing in the moonlight as Rika continued to walk. The garden seemed even more floral at night, all the flowers and plants having more life and personality in the blue light.

"I think he was so confused since I'm not wearing my mask," she admitted. "I usually wear my mask around the building and others, but i thought if i didn't hide my face from you, then there would be nothing to worry about. That you could trust me easier. Is it working?"

 _Not after seeing you hit Ray_ , you think to yourself before nodding. "Yes. You seem like a trustworthy person. But you also seem broken.."

"What?"

You turn and look at her. "Your eyes. You try to cover some things up but it's to no avail. You can tell your hurt in a way no one else can see. A way no one else to could ever relate to… Something happened a long time ago or something imprinted in you-"

"-Am I that easy to read?" she asked, cutting you off. "No one has ever been able to read through me so easily.. No one but-"

"Ae-cha!"

You turned to see V walking through the bushes, his face more pale than before, eyes wide with worry. Rika turned and looked over her shoulder, a smirk on her face. "V? You're still here? I thought you left already… What brings you here-oh? Is that so? Are you also infatuated by Ae-cha?"

"Get away from her, Rika. There is no point in bringing the innocent into this. Leave her out of this, please."

"Her innocence is why I'm so intrigued…. So I can't leave her alone. She's safe in my arms. You won't have to worry, alright?"

V stepped closer, wearing a his robe as well. He reached for you. "Ae-cha, leave. You can't stay here. And you know it."

You take a step back, looking at Rika as she called for help, multiple men running towards V. You balled your hands to fist and ran at V, pushing him out of the way, causing him to stumble back. "Don't just easily sacrifice yourself for someone you hardly know and get out of here-!" Soon, you were the one tackled to the ground, hitting your head, your vision blurry for a few seconds before everything went black..

" _Mama!" you ran to a beautiful woman who caught you in her arms, spinning you around. "Mama, look what I made!" You held out a picture for her and smiled. Her smiled made you happy. All the time happy…_

" _Wow, Ae-cha… would you look at that. It's so beautiful. So neat. You have a talent."_

" _I don't like it, though.. I only frew it for you. I want to help people, Mama. I want to help people who are sick like you, mama!"_

 _Your mother smiled and held you against her chest tightly, stroking your hair. "I bet you'll be able to help mama and everyone else in the world just by caring. Not everyone has someone who cares for them. Care...Care and be there for them like you are with mama, okay, Ae-cha?"_

" _If i do that, then mama will be okay, right?"_

 _She pulled away and set you down, squatting with a soft smile. "Yes, Ae-cha.. Mama will be alright."_

The sunlight disturbed your slumber, causing you to open your eyes, a headache hitting you fast and hard like a train, causing you to groan in pain. Sitting up, cautiously, you look at your surroundings, seeing that you were in your room. The room Ray had prepared for you.

"You're awake.." a drained voice broke through, causing you to look over at the foot of the bed, seeing Ray sitting down, facing away from you.

"Ray-"

"You helped him. Why did you help that terrible man?" he turned to look over at you, his eyes dead, the bags under his eyes seeming to have worsened. Something else was also off.. His clothes were dark. And his face didn't hold the broken innocence it once did. It was crazed. Slightly scary. His frown disappeared and was replaced by a sneer. "I told you, over and over again, that he was a bad man! To not get involved with him. And what do you do? Huh? What?! You help him.. You tried to save him and let him escaped when we finally had him! And in return you got hurt!" He growled and reached over, grabbing your arms. "You promised me...promised you wouldn't get involved with him.. You promised you'd stay with me.. You know how worried I was? You've been sleeping for four days. I've stayed up for countless days…. Waiting for you…"

You stared at him with frightened eyes, breathing heavily, scared at the way he was acting. He had never spoken aggressively to you. Nor grabbed you so tightly. "Ray let go.. You're hurting me…." He frowned and pulled away, staring into your eyes.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you? You're going to run off with that..that BASTARD!" Tears filled his eyes and he held his face in his hands. "I scared you, didn't i? I scared you when i yelled at my saviour..huh? She was right. I shouldn't have yelled…"

You placed a hand on his shoulder, tilting your head to the side. "Ray. Don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault, and you know it. You can't take responsibility for everything. You just… you can't, you know?"

Ray slapped your hand away and stood up. "Stop. Just...stop trying to act like you are helping me because if anything you are making it worse! So….so much worse. Why? Do you like seeing me suffer? Is that why you made promises you couldn't keep? Because.. Because…."

"Ray, i never made a promise i wasn't intending to keep. I will keep my promises. I will. I won't leave you alone.. I would never, ever do that to you.."

"You want to be with V. You want to be with that bastard….." The sadness in his voice was heartbreaking and it hurt a great amount to hear. He inhaled deeply. "My saviour was right.. No matter how innocent humans can seem, they are gruesome creatures.. Just pests. I thought you really were like a flower.. But you're just a parasite waiting to spread.." He looked at the bed. "Hurry up and get out of here, Ae-cha. I don't want you in my sight anymore… get away…"


End file.
